Text
mu‿b.nism̥. mu‿s.jaɪb. mu fani:d.
sːjaɪba:ɾ ɲo‿θ.nja:l. wam‿s:jaɪb‿s:nijmʊs‿saɪ‿v.lan.
s:θɾa:nɪm nijant va:lan. S:nɪmt mut‿t.nɪt‿s.mniɾaɾa: tɛ:sɪs.
tɾal mut‿s.tpama:maiɾ‿s.cratal faɪjsɪŋk tbu:waɾ‿t.nɪt ajʊŋk t‿v.lʊn‿m.niɾa ma mut faɪj.
wam‿s.tsmɾ̥ tθɾa:nɪm, spama:maiɾ tɛnɪt.
nɪtja:nɪs taɾa: este‿t‿θ.mumi‿t.nɪt‿s.jɛsra: mut.
tɛsɪs ɛnɪt saɪja:t‿t.θnja:l.
sɪf‿saɪ‿t.sɪs mut mɲa:laɪ enirsa‿s muɾa buwaɾ nɪmθ‿s.aɪ‿s.nɪθ.
s:fa:niɾ‿t.nɪt tʊŋkɛ ma θamu:mi mɲa:laɪ aɪkɲansa: ɛnibja:maɾɛsɪŋk tɛsɪs tɛsɪŋk.
English Translation
No pain, no sleep, no fear.
I sleep all day. When I sleep, I almost see you.
I’m dreaming about you. I don’t want for this to happen.
Don’t try to secretly remember feeling the power that belongs to you, that stops me from feeling.
When I think about dreaming, this is what I remember
At least — over there, with the demons, whom I do not like.
This is what is seen nowadays.
If I did not see this, maybe I would have more power but I am sad.
I fear that maybe demons are reaching out to me because of these things that have happened.
Grammar and Vocabulary
Tapni is an isolating language that prefers consonant cluster onsets. In the glossary, I list stems and affixes required to translate the text. Affixation is not marked in writing, so a little guess work will have to be done. Additionally, because of the preference for consonant clusters, I’ve included liaison and alternate forms for some words that undergo these changes. I attempted to make the text as readable as possible using broad IPA transcription.
With regards to word order, Tapni carries both SVO and SOV depending on the type of clause and words in the clause that trigger the verb to move into the final position. There may be a couple of those in this text.
With regards to affixes, the main ones that are prevalent in this text are –t- and –s-, which function as prefixes and suffixes.
| Tapni | liaison form | alternative form | gloss |
| aɪ | be, am | ||
| aɪkɲansa: | because | ||
| ajʊŋk | belong | ||
| -aɾ | past tense | ||
| -aɾa: | subjunctive mood, conditional mood | ||
| -at | passive voice | ||
| bnism̥ | b.nism̥ | pain | |
| bu:waɾ | b.waɾ | bu:wap | power |
| ɛnibja:m | happen | ||
| enirsa | nirs | have | |
| fa:niɾ | f.niɾ | fani:d | fear |
| faɪj | feel | ||
| -i | plural suffix | ||
| jɛsra: | sra: | sra: | like, enjoy |
| ma | first person accusative/dative | ||
| mɲa:laɪ | mɲalai: | maybe | |
| mniɾa | m.niɾa | mniɾ | do, create |
| mu | no, none | ||
| muɾa | more/extra | ||
| mut | negation | ||
| nijant | about | ||
| nijmʊs | almost | ||
| nɪtja:nɪs | nɪtʃa:nɪs | (at) least | |
| ɲo | all | ||
| pama:maiɾ | remember | ||
| -s- | first person nominal suffix | ||
| sacratal | s.cratal | sacratabal | secretly |
| saɪ | see | ||
| sɪf | whether/if | ||
| -sɪŋk | continuous aspect | ||
| sjaɪb | sjaɪb | sleep | |
| snɪθ | sad, sadness | ||
| -t- | to, the, this (i.e., “this day” for “today”) | ||
| taɾa: | tal:a | (over) there | |
| tɛ:sɪs | t.sɪs | tɛs | this |
| tɛnɪt | t.nɪt | tnɪt | that |
| tɛsɪŋk | thing | ||
| tɛsmɾ̥ | t.smɾ̥ | think | |
| tɾal | try | ||
| tʊŋkɛ | touch | ||
| unɪmt | nɪmt | want | |
| valan | v.lan | you | |
| valʊn | v.lʊn | all of you | |
| wam | when | ||
| θa:mum | θ.mu:m | demons | |
| θnja:l | θ.nja:l | day | |
| θɾa:nɪm | θɾ.nɪm | dream |